Flood alert for Hunstanton seafront tonight

A new flood alert has been issued by the Environment Agency for Hunstanton's seafront.

Members of the public are being urged to stay away from the area, particularly between 7 and 11pm this evening, because of the threat of large waves and overtopping during the latest storm to sweep through the region.

And engineers are also battling to restore power supplies to hundreds of homes around the area.

The Environment Agency alert said: "Large waves and spray caused by Storm Franklin are expected to affect the Hunstanton seafront during Sunday evening's high tide.

"Consequently, flooding is possible for the duration of the high tide. We expect flooding to affect Hunstanton seafront.

"Large waves with overtopping spray are likely between 19:00 and 23:00 on Sunday 20/02/2022.

"You are advised to stay away from risk areas and take care next to the coast. We are monitoring the situation as Storm Franklin moves across the area. Our incident response staff are checking defences."

The agency has also warned that further alerts may be needed for the high tides tomorrow.

The guidance follows a yellow weather warning from the Met Office for strong winds, which remains effective until 3pm tomorrow.

Police have urged drivers to take care on the area's roads amid reports of a large number of trees and power lines down across the area.

And UK Power Networks say more than 700 residents are currently affected by power cuts across the borough.

Earlier, train operator Great Northern urged passengers to avoid travelling on Monday because of the likelihood of disruption to services.